‘We know only one way of making films – that’s with each other’: Raj and DK

Set in fictional Gulaabganj, this is the story of a mechanic running from his dead-gangster father’s shadow, a reluctant cartel heir, a dreaded killer on the loose and an honest cop who ends up being an agent of chaos. During a freewheeling conversation, the engineering classmates-turned-filmmakers talk about their love for the ’90s cinema and music, the team they have built, and their love for combining comedy with crime.

The show Guns & Gulaabs is a tribute to the ’90s pop culture. Why did you choose to set your story in that era?

Raj: We wanted to show simpler times. Take those slightly known characters from films – a villain with a flair, who is dreaded; an honest cop; a small-time guy with dreams – give them a contemporary edge and explore their grey shades. This also gave us a big canvas to play with, in terms of how we write and how the plot points unfold. While we explored urban settings in The Family Man and Farzi, this show took us to a new world.

WATCH | Creator X Creator: Raj & DK Interview Each Other

Unlike many crime dramas, you seem to have opted for a slow-paced narrative. Why?

Raj: That’s also a reflection of that period. We didn’t want to treat the scenes as Insta reels. The idea was to let the characters develop and subplots come through. But it heads towards an explosive finale. So, it has a pay-off.

DK: Our idea was to pull the viewers into this world. Then, take them along in this journey rather than quickly offer them something to keep them entertained. We wanted the audience to come join us, fall in love with the characters, empathise with them, and experience this fun ride.

How difficult was it to get the props right – bikes, mopeds, telephones, cassettes and others?

DK: The vehicles were especially tough to source. There are several action sequences involving the vehicles. Now, imagine a motorcycle or moped that’s 30 years old and you expect it to run well without stopping. That’s very difficult. We always had a few of those ready and hoped that if one didn’t start, the back-up would take over.

Raj: Sourcing them was one of the toughest tasks for our production design team. They had to recreate a lot of things. They had to ensure that these vehicles were functioning and get the retro look right.

Music plays a key role in taking the narrative forward as well as getting the vibe of that period right.

DK: We always knew there was going to be music that’s reminiscent of the ’90s. We have used background score less in our other shows compared to this one. All the songs, including the Jhankar Beats versions, were part of the script. What we could get the rights for, we used, the others we changed.

Raj: We wish we had the budget to use more songs. Everything costs a lot. So, one has to take a call whether to put that money in production or spend it on songs. We had a long wish list while writing it. But reality hits you later. That’s when you have to pick and choose. We had to let go of November Rain by Guns N’ Roses, among others.

Raj and DK’s Farzi was widely applauded.

After the success of The Family Man and Farzi, was there a pressure on you regarding living up the expectations of the audience?

DK: Regardless of what the audience feels about those two shows, Guns & Gulaabs is a different one. Apart from the fact that the same people made these shows, there won’t be any other similarities. That’s liberating for us. This also gives us the leeway to experiment, too.

Raj: Farzi was a test of whether we can come out of The Family Man‘s shadow. Thankfully, Farzi passed that test. Because of that we can put our energy into making shows like Guns & Gulaabs. We told ourselves long ago that we would tell all kinds of stories. We think more like audiences and wonder what they would love to watch. Now, people expect something different from us every time.

While combining crime and comedy, did you check yourself from going overboard?

Raj: This is our favourite genre. We love to create this goofy world. We have bits of that in 99 (2009), Shor in the City and Go Go Goa. We were thrilled to delve into this world. Most of the actors on the show treat humour with a straight face. It’s played as a part of life, not as a joke with sound effects. Hence, the viewers are convinced about the crazy stuff that’s happening on the screen. In extremely measured pieces, we flirt with slapstick. We know the line. We just touch it and go.

You both wear multiple hats – writer, director and producer. How do you share the responsibilities?

Raj: We work round the clock. We seamlessly hand off responsibilities to each other. We have great writing partners such as Suman Kumar, Sumit Arora and Sita Menon. We also have a terrific creative support team, who fill in all the gaps, carry out the research, and add details. We know only one way of making films – that’s with each other. When we started to expand, we included one at a time. We are all friends. It’s like a group of friends working together.

DK: We don’t have a clear demarcation of who will do what. Lots of times actors and crew members don’t realise which one of us is on the sets. It flows well. Sita and Suman were not writers who were doing other stuff and then joined us. Sita has been a friend for 15 years. Her first work and many other projects have been with us. Suman was my classmate in high school. He had written a novel. When we reconnected, we suggested he try his hand at screenplay writing. We have worked together for Family Man, Farzi and now Gun and Gulaabs. If you ask Suman, he would say that he knows how we think.

The last feature film you directed is A Gentleman (2017). Anything in the offing?

Raj: We thought we were going to do one web-series but have done five by now (two of the upcoming series are the Indian offshoot of Citadel and Gulkanda Tales). Next year, we are aiming to do a feature.

Have you ever put an idea on the backburner because it’s too outlandish?

Raj: For us, it’s either too outlandish for now and let’s make it later, or it’s perfectly outlandish, let’s make it now.

Anything from the ’90s cinema that you miss?

DK: The experience of watching movies in single-screen theatres, cinemascope and 70 mm film.

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